Daily Meditations

Psalm 73:15-17 Now I understand! These verses do not make sense in isolation. As we have seen in verses 13-14, the psalmist is plagued with doubts and reservations about the prosperity and lifestyle of the wicked, when compared with the righteous. As he looked at his own life and experiences, he felt embittered by the contrast, for he suffered afflictions and new punishments, daily. Then Asaph entered the sanctuary of God, the inner courts of the Temple – and everything changed! Self-pity and envy flew out of the doorway to be replaced by understanding. “Thank goodness I didn’t speak out about my feelings,” he says, “What a betrayal that would have been. A public expression of my grievances would have caused a great deal of concern amongst God’s children.” In other words, shut up if you have doubts and fears, especially if you are in a place of leadership or authority over others. Asaph admits that he was deeply troubled by the contrast in fortunes between the wicked and the righteous.

Psalm 73:14 Days of affliction Read in isolation, this verse seems to suggest that Asaph is in some kind of trouble, that he is suffering, perhaps with depression or a physical illness. However, put into the context of the preceding, and subsequent, verses we realise that it is his sense of injustice that hurts so much. And the source of the injustice appears to be the Lord God! Why do the wicked get away with it? Why do the righteous get no rewards? Why does serving and living for Almighty God turn out to be so costly? Surely it should be the other way round – the righteous should be the prosperous ones and the wicked should be suffering? This dilemma bothers Asaph all day long and every morning he finds himself diving deeper into despair, plagued, as he is, by the unfairness of it all.  These questions have bothered many over the centuries. There is no doubt that following the Lord God is costly, that in earthly terms you may lose out. Some have turned away from Christianity simply b

Psalm 73:13 Is it all in vain? There is a clue in this verse as to the occupation of Asaph, the writer of the Psalm. We know he was a Levite, but the verse suggests that he may also have been a priest. Asaph talks about “ washing his hands in innocence.”  The practice of the priests, at the Temple, was to stand before the Bronze Laver and wash themselves thoroughly. This ritual was mandatory before they were allowed to enter the Holy Place. Hands must also be washed before the making of sacrifices and the offering of blessings and prayers to heaven. Perhaps Asaph was a priest who performed this ritual many times and he was now beginning to ask himself, “What’s the point?”  Asaph also talks about keeping his heart pure. He had, over the years, worked tirelessly to keep himself holy to the Lord and where had it got him? While he had been performing ceremonies and rituals, practicing abstinence and piety, valiantly keeping the commandments and ordinances of God, the wicked had been growin

Psalm 73:12 The wealth of the wicked I detect more than a little dose of self-pity here, don’t you? “This is what the wicked are like, they never have any problems, everything works out for them. While I’m working my socks off trying to make ends meet, they book another holiday, buy a new car and put a few more thousands into their pension pot.”  Are the wicked always free of care? Quite obviously not, they get sick, they have to deal with family issues and broken relationships, and they have more to look after and to protect than the poor do. Having said that, I guess we can all be a little bit jealous of those who can buy what they want, go where they want, live how they want and do want they want! or can we? Well, I’ve seen it all over the years and I think David got it right when he said,  “I’d rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.  For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favour and honour, no good ting does He withhold

Psalm 73:11 How could God know? It is a curious irony that when men claim that there is no God, they are actually seeking to disclaim Someone they say does not exist! How is it possible to denounce Someone who is not! These fools are effectively throwing down a challenge. Inherent within the soul of every man and woman is the awareness that we are not alone, that something or someone exists beyond us. Creation all around sings His praise, life abounds on the planet, laws govern and regulate all activity, it is incomprehensible for anyone to say that there is no God. So, the louder someone says it, the more likely it is that they are fighting their own intuition! There is another large group of people who do not renounce God but rather question His abilities and His character. They diminish Him in their thinking so that they become less accountable. Such people are described in this verse, their wickedness is justified by the idea that God does not know, therefore God will not judge. Th

Psalm 73:10 They claim to be wise! Picking up on a comment made in the previous verse, this statement makes me angry! We are used, as Christians, to the idea that what we see and know about God in the spiritual realm is what He has revealed. His Word reveals Him in the flesh, in other words in Christ, and in the written truth – the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit it is the inspiration behind this knowledge, and He reveals to each man and women what they are intended to know and what they need to know in the course of their spiritual journey. Teachers of the Word often despair that the hearers are not understanding, but they will only ever understand what is revealed. What we generally do not understand is that the same principles apply in the natural world. Man only understands what God has chosen to reveal! So, Galileo, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Michael Faraday and co are not so clever after all! They used their considerable skill and intelligence to discover new things, but God was

Psalm 73:9 Who do they think  that  are? “The wicked lay claim to heaven with their mouths!”  Wow! What does that mean? Well, it could have a number of meanings.  Firstly, the gods lived in the heavens and so the wicked and the proud are effectively saying that they do not bow down to any god, they are in control, they are not accountable. Included in this rebellion is, of course, the one true God, Elohim, who made the heavens and the earth. Secondly, the wicked boast that they know how the heavens work and how the laws of space and time are under their control. It is so arrogant for men to make such claims when we barely know anything about what lies beyond this world. We just about made it to the moon in 1969 and since then men have boasted as if we own the rights to the whole universe! In truth, every new discovery about the heavens has proved how little we do know and what we do know is only what God has revealed!! Thirdly, men behave as if they have the final say in their own dest

Psalm 73:7-8 Description of the anti-Christs! These next two verses of Psalm 73 contain a damning list of indictments against the wicked.  ·        They have callous hearts full of iniquity.  ·        They have unlimited evil imaginations. ·        They are mockers and full of derisive scorn for others. ·        Their words are intended to cause pain, injury and suffering. ·        They boast of their strength and power and bully others into submission. ·        The threat of oppression hangs around them, they are scary. I cannot help think of some playground bullies I once knew. I cannot help think of some people I have worked with. I have even encountered one or two folk like this in the church! My thoughts go to some of the world leaders who have dominated the world stage in the past decades. You see, men and women like this don’t just become gangsters and criminals, some of them claw their way to the summit of power over their countries and use all of the above tactics to gain stat

Psalm73:6 Pride worn like a necklace A necklace is usually a highly visible adornment, isn’t it? I mean, that’s the whole point of a necklace, it’s meant to be noticed. And most necklaces are not bits of string, they are made of pearls or gold or something precious. Most ladies have at least a couple of necklaces and, ok, I admit they are not all highly valuable, but they are still only worn for attention. They do not keep you warm or cover your dignity! That’s the whole point of the metaphor in this verse, pride is something that you wear with pride! You can usually smell a proud person a mile off, or at least you can spot them immediately you start conversing with them. I once had a work colleague who was extremely likable, but who would never stop talking about himself and his achievements, he really did think that he was the very best at everything he did. Sadly, those who knew him well, knew different. Contrast this with Proverbs 1:8-9.  “Listen, my son, to your father’s instructi

Psalm 73:3-5 Don't envy the prosperous I wonder who these people were, who so upset the song writer? Obviously, there were a number in his circle of acquaintances who lived a charmed life. These were arrogant men and women who had prospered greatly but had no time for the Lord God. They all enjoyed good health and seemed to be care-free and able to enjoy a very wealthy lifestyle. The common struggles of life, and the burdens of ordinary folk did not seem to bother these wicked ones, they lived above the suffering of their contemporaries.  It is easy to look at others and draw these conclusions, to envy the rich in their mansions with their luxurious cars and lifestyles, men and women who seem to be constantly travelling to exotic locations and having the time to lap up the good things of life. In fact, our envy is often misplaced. These people suffer from the same illnesses as the rest of us, they struggle with the same anxieties and problems and for many, the responsibility of wea

Psalm 73:2 It's slippery underfoot This verse only makes sense in the context of what precedes it. Yesterday we talked about the goodness of God revealed to those who are pure in heart. Contrast with verse 2 of the Psalm where we have a man who was on the brink of disaster. He uses a climbing analogy,  “My feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.”  We can only assume that the song writer had slipped away from godliness and the purity of heart that was so desirable. I suspect that all of us can identify with this experience. Our spiritual walk had been going so well. We had enjoyed the ascent and the sense of growing closer to the Lord. The songs we sang were deeply meaningful. The prayers we prayed had passion and understanding. Those moments of intimacy with the Lord were full of peace and joy. Then, along came the enemy. Our peaceful hearts became embroiled in conflict, our senses were lured away and suddenly - we felt ourselves slipping dangerously down the spirit

Psalm 73:1 The pure in heart This Psalm begins a new collection of songs, the first eleven of which are credited to Asaph. Aspah led one of David’s three levitical choirs, the other leaders were Heman and Jeduthun (also known as Ethan). These three men represented the three families of the Levites so it could be that the songs were from the Asaph family album and not necessarily all from Asaph himself.  This Psalm is so typical of us all; when troubles and trials come it is so easy to become self-pitying and to look at how the wicked prosper. The good news is that despite his misgivings, the Psalm-writer keeps faith and realises that if he has the Lord God, he is richer than any of his unrighteous contemporaries.    V1        This is a statement of faith, a pronouncement upon which the rest of the Psalm is based. “If, as the nation of Israel, we have the Lord God with us. If we are pure in heart and seek to serve and follow Him then surely, He will be good to us.”  Jesus said, in His b

Psalm 72:19-20 Amen and Amen! Moving on from verse 18, I think it is possible to suggest a formula!  God’s saving power displayed = God’s glory revealed. For instance:-  ·        God saved a mass of water and rock that was dead and void, and He turned it into our earth, a planet full of His glory. ·        God rescued an ancient tribe of slaves and they became His chosen people, witnesses to His saving power and, at their best, displayed His glory. ·        God took a desert land and made it bud and flower and it became incredibly productive. He has done this again with Israel in the last 75 years. ·        God saved people like you and me and gave us His Spirit, that we might display His glory. This process has gone on throughout history and has planetary consequences as well as individual ones. Oh, what a day it will be when the whole earth is filled with His glory! That glory is evident today, but when Messiah comes to reign and the Satan is bound, glory will abound even more. Prais

Psalm 72:18 He alone does marvellous deeds “Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvellous deeds. ” It started in a Garden, with just two people, a man and a woman. They were there at the beginning of the wondrous deeds, living in Paradise on earth and in a world of colour and sound and variety amongst millions of other living things, all created at the word of the Lord God. At the beginning, mankind was given the command to “ Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it.”  From that time on, instead of living in harmony with the earth and its Creator, men have fought against the living world and sought to own it. The consequences are revealed throughout history. Where there has been obedience and honour paid to the Creator, there have been wondrous deeds. Rebellion against and rejection of the Creator has brought doom and disaster. In a rebellious world, there are few wondrous deeds, just a steady decline into oblivion and the requirement t

Psalm 72:17 The road to blessing We have just read verses that anticipate and hope for, a long and prosperous reign for a king. David is hoping, probably, that his son will be a blessing to all the nations and that the whole world will honour him and applaud his reign. As we have seen, the ultimate fulfilment of these blessing will be through Messiah, when He comes to reign. The promises given to Abraham for his successors and their land will be fulfilled to the letter.  “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”  Genesis 12:2-3. Those solemn promises to Abraham were fulfilled in the history of Israel, they were fulfilled throughout Solomon’s reign and are being fulfilled still today. It is a fool who curses the Jews and a wise man who blesses them.  God will always keep His Covenant promi

Psalm 72:16 A land of abundance Travellers to Palestine, throughout the centuries after the dispersal of the Jews in AD70, found a desolate wilderness occupied by nomadic tribes and small communities, that barely scraped a living from the land. Jerusalem was besieged and occupied by numerous peoples bent on conquest, but it was no longer the flourishing city that housed a Temple to Almighty God.  I first visited the land of reborn Israel in 1992 and marvelled at the orchards, plantations and green fields filled with crops. Twenty years later the miracle continues as the tree plantations creep steadily closer to the Dead Sea and the fertile Jordan Valley abounds with cultivated fields. The hills have indeed turned to green and still seem to flourish despite the hot, dry summers. Every kind of fruit adorns the tables of the hotels and honeycombs freely invite indulgence. The land is a living miracle, even the climate has adapted so that rain and snow water the ground that was once a dese

Psalm 72:15 Long may He live! “Long live the king!”  The world has shouted these words at earthly sovereigns for centuries and, in some cases, rightly so. If David penned this Psalm for his son, then his request was granted for Solomon reigned for 40 years. Solomon also benefited from the gold of Sheba, in fact he became “ greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.”  2 Chronicles 9:22. He also ruled over a kingdom similar in size to the one we described in verse 8. In other words, all of Arabia as far as the Euphrates River.  This verse also has implications for our King, our Messiah. Let us never forget that we inhabit a different kingdom to the world. We obey the commands and pay homage to the King of kings,  “Long may He live! ” When He comes to reign upon the earth, there is no doubt that all peoples will honour Him but let’s remember, He is not a king who needs to accumulate gold and silver and worldly wealth. His wealth is the praises of His people.  It m

Psalm 72:14 The avenger of blood You will, no doubt, remember the scene in Genesis 4 after Cain has murdered his brother Abel. The Lord says to Cain, “ What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”  This is a chilling statement by the Lord, it suggests that He hears the cries of all those who have been murdered, their voices calls out to Him from the ground. It also tells us that those who have committed murder are under a curse. In Numbers 35 we read about Cities of Refuge prepared for those who have unintentionally killed someone, so that they might hide from the family member who takes the role of the “avenger of blood.” In other words, they might forfeit their own lives even though the death they caused was an

Psalm 72:13 He takes pity on the weak and needy This verse reminds us that our earthly view of poverty, weakness and need is very much different from God’s view. Firstly, He has an eternal view of life and death. Everything has to be put into perspective and a few years of poverty in this life are nothing when set against the backdrop of eternity. True poverty is not knowing God, not being known by Him, and not knowing the hope of eternal life. We also need to remember that the richest man ever to live on our planet, had nothing! In worldly terms, Yeshua was penniless. He owned no property, no bank account, no chattels, he had no earthly assets and yet He was not poor. In other words, it is not worldly possessions that count with God, it is treasure in heaven. It would also be right to say that Yeshua showed us His weakness as a man. This was displayed when “ He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a

Psalm 72:12 Deliverance for the needy Remember that this Psalm is an anticipation of a ruler to come. Some of the content could certainly be attributed to Solomon and it describes the hopes of his father, David, as he prepares to hand over the kingdom of Israel. Solomon was renowned for his wisdom, and he did indeed, rule justly. However, as we have seen, the ultimate fulfilment of Psalm 72 will come when Messiah reigns upon the earth.  The reign of Yeshua will not be cruel, He will not use his power for selfish advancement, and He will not rule as a dictator. There will be no oppression during His reign, and He will not pursue His own interests. He will show the world what it is like to live under righteousness, justice and truth. The reign of Jesus Christ will embrace all who are weak, needy and afflicted. He will not allow any to be despised, unlike the rulers of this world who are so full of their own self-aggrandisement that they distance themselves from their poorest and most dow

Psalm 72:11 Every knee shall bow As I write this, the Russian / Ukranian War is entering its 18 th  day. I have followed the debates and arguments of politicians and “experts” from around the world and I have become increasingly aware that there is none who is righteous. None of these people speak with the voice of God. All countries are corrupt. Most politicians have something to hide. The activities of western governments, over the past 50 years, have not exactly been covered in glory have they? It’s not so long ago that the US and UK invaded Iraq and then Afghanistan, under false pretences.  The point is this, that those who look to the world’s leaders for inspiration and hope, are looking in the wrong place. There is only one voice and one strategist who can be trusted. He has spoken since the beginning of time, and He remains in control of our planet despite the suffering that man brings upon himself. One day, every world leader, every king, every politician and every dictator wil

Psalm 72:10 A King in Israel Scholars have attempted, for centuries, to nail down the exact location of Tarshish. Some have this city as far away as Spain, others believe it was an island, still others place it in N Africa! The name crops up around 25 times in the Old Testament so I think we can assume that it did exist – contrary to some opinions. Solomon had fleets of ships scouring the world of that time for precious metals and jewels and Tarshish appears to be important as a seaport.  Sheba could have been part of southwest Arabia. It was a port that profited from transporting luxury goods from north Africa to Lebanon using caravan routes through the desert. A famous Queen visited Solomon from this part of the world. (1 Kings 10.)  Seba is thought to be associated with modern Sudan although, again, opinions differ for it is also aligned with Cush and could have been part of western Persia, today’s Iran.  The Psalm proves that places and their importance change over the centuries, w

Psalm 72:9 Back to the Garden Another look at yesterday’s map will remind us of the extent of the land that was promised to Israel. In truth they never ventured far to the east of the River Jordan and further north than the frontier with Lebanon. The wars since 1948 have shown the capabilities of the Israeli Defence Force to advance into these territories but, for the sake of peace, the politicians have withdrawn to agreed boundaries. Interestingly, our verse today has the king of that time conquering the desert tribes to the east as, of course, they would have to do if the land was extended to the Great River Euphrates.  It may well be that, when Messiah comes to reign, He will rightfully extend His kingdom to embrace the ancient territories and His saints will reign with Him over a land mass much larger than modern Israel. Zechariah 14:16 has delegates from all over the world coming to this place, and to Jerusalem, to bring their tributes and offerings to the King of kings. If the re

Psalm 72:8 The River to the ends of the earth It’s a bit much, isn’t it, to expect a king of Israel to rule from sea to sea? Not according to the Bible. Isaiah speaks of the reign of Messiah and that Israel will be a  “Light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”  Isaiah 49:6. In chapter 60:3 we read,  “Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” If this psalm was written for Solomon, he certainly had an influence over a vast area of the then-known world, kings and queens and statemen came to consult with him, bringing gifts and their adulation. A king was installed in Zion and the world came to pay their respects. (See 1 Kings 9-10.) What a day it will be when another King takes His place on Zion’s holy hill and the world comes to honour Him! Zechariah 14:16. So, what is the “River” referred to in today’s verse? Notice that it is described with a capital letter to underline its importance. There was only one River that

Psalm 72:7 Reflecting the Son We have been blessed, here in the UK, to have a monarch who has faith in God, who prays to Him and who seeks His righteousness. However, that has not stopped the country around her from descending into gross immorality, greed and disobedience.  The slide into depravity, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1 st , has been shocking. The problem has not been the Queen, for she has limited powers, but the godlessness of all the men and women who have served her. What the idiot politicians do not understand is that righteousness and prosperity go together, and wickedness and poverty are also bedfellows! I am not saying that all poor people are wicked! What I am saying that if a nation seeks God and obeys His commands, it will go well with them. If people reject God and pursue their own desires, the result will be calamity and curses, and the poor are always the victims. It happened with Israel on numerous occasions and the world has never woken up to the fact t

Psalm 72:6 Rain on me! The previous verse of this Psalm was a plea for the king to enjoy long life, and we reflected there that this wish for longevity has been repeated over the lives of many monarchs throughout history. What is less common is the cry for them to be like,  “Rain falling on a mown field”  or  “Showers watering the earth!”  In Deuteronomy 32 we read the Song of Moses, given to Israel at the end of his life. He begins with these words,  “Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.”    We can now begin to see that it was not the reign or rule or personality of the monarchs that was like rain, but their words, their teaching, their instructions. Fields, or lawns, are only mown if the grass is growing and they are green and lush. If the ground is parched and dry the grass does not flourish. In the same way, the wisdom of a king is revealed by his words which water the ground for his people, an

Psalm 72:5 May He endure as long as the sun This is a curious statement! Let’s consider it carefully.  “May he endure as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations. ”  It has been common practice, over the years, for subordinates to bow before kings and queens and stereotypically request that their reign may be forever and ever. Bathsheba said this to King David, see 1 Kings 1:31, and later in the same chapter the words are repeated over Solomon. Even today the supporters of a monarch may cry, “Long live the king.” Obviously, human sovereigns die, their reign may well be short-lived, so the cry for long life embraces the idea that their influence and memory may live long amongst their descendants and throughout history. In David’s case that has certainly happened. We might say the same about our own Queen Elizabeth! We cannot help but turn our thoughts to our Messiah, Yeshua. Handel’s great tribute to Him includes the chorus,  “And He shall reign forever and ever.”  

Psalm 72:4 The reign of Messiah This reign of righteousness and justice that the Psalm longs for, is now described in more detail. There are three characteristics of such a reign and of such a kingdom: - ·        The afflicted will be defended ·        The children of the needy will be saved ·        The oppressor will be crushed These three objectives are set out clearly for the king. Today, the objectives would probably be the defence of the nation, the prosperity of its people and the care of the vulnerable. It’s worth noting that any ruler appointed by God is not instructed to care for themselves, but to care for their citizens. There’s an underlying principle, the Lord effectively says, “If you care for them, I will care for you.” That applies to every area of leadership.  Turning to the reign of Messiah, we see that His kingdom is no different. He is not engaged in human politics and the conflict between nations or between the rich and the poor. He came to defend those afflicted

Psalm 72:3 The fruit of righteousness Can mountains bring prosperity to people? In Israel they can. To the north of the country, on the border with modern day Lebanon, is the rugged range of Mount Hermon. In winter, Hermon is snow covered and modern-day Israelis take to their skis. In all generations this mountain has provided water for the land, the streams that flow from Mount Hermon converge to form the River Jordan that flows south, through Galilee to the Dead Sea, and it is this river that is the main source of drinking water and irrigation for the people living in Israel. Without the mountains, the land would be a desert.  The Psalm goes on talk about, hills producing the fruit of righteousness. I suspect that this is all tied up with the blessings and curses of Deuteronomy 27-28. If righteousness reigns in the land, then the Lord will provide, “ He will open the heavens, the storehouse of His bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands.”  

Psalm 72:2 Righteousness and justice By the time many of you read this, the full extent of Putin’s assault on Ukraine will be known. As I write it has been just 5 days and it is abundantly clear that righteousness and justice do not feature very heavily in his ambitions! In fact, it is very hard to survey history and find national and global leaders who were intent in pursuing these qualities. The Bible doesn’t mention many of them either, although our writer clearly had righteousness and justice high on his list of prerequisites for government.  A righteous judge is one who is able to discern, with clarity, the rights and wrongs of every matter. He considers all of the evidence and carefully weighs up every fact and every account. He listens to the witnesses and rejects those who are prejudiced and speaking subjectively. He understands the circumstances of the accuser and the victim and then he carefully applies the detailed letter of the law and makes his decisions.  When this Psalm